Middlesex Fells Reservation
Nature preserve
188 acres7.1 mi of trail
Rock Circuit TrailEast PathRock Circuit ConnectorFells Path+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Grk1011/Stephen · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Melrose
26% of Melrose’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 18 miles of mapped trail cross Melrose, 3.9 per square mile of land. 26% of Melrose’s land is conserved, about 784 acres.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #76 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
26%
784 acres · of 4.7 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
3.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
720 ac
24 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.3 mi
2.1 mi lanes
Highest peak
259 ft
Mount Hood
Lakes & rivers
8
What kind of outdoors town is Melrose?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Melrose have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Melrose is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #76 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Melrose’s overall grade.
Conserved land26% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land24 acres of park per 1,000 residents (720 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 73%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Melrose’s 26% is ahead of 65% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 87% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Middlesex Fells Reservation, with 7.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mount Hood Recreation Area & Golf Course
Park
247 acres2.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pine Banks Park
Park
181 acres1.7 mi of trail
Cray TrailTaylor TrailBurgess TrailRoy Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Towners Pond Conservation Area
Nature preserve
34 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Swains Pond Conservation Area
Nature preserve
50 acres0.9 mi of trail
Knox Memorial Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sewall Woods
Nature preserve
9 acres0.6 mi of trail
Bumpy Rock TrailLookout PathCliff path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
West Hill Terrace
Managed by Melrose Conservation Commission
6 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 22 parks & preserves
Middlesex Fells Reservation188 acres · 7.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Hood Recreation Area & Golf Course247 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Banks Park181 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsTowners Pond Conservation Area34 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSwains Pond Conservation Area50 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsEll Pond Park16 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSewall Woods9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Hill Terrace6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Melrose Conservation Commission
Ferdinand Woods6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Melrose Conservation Commission
Hesseltine Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Melrose
Ell Pond2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMelrose Pool1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSwains Pond Avenue Open Space2 acres
DirectionsDexter Road Open Space2 acres
Lincoln Park1 acres
DirectionsColby Park1 acres
Burnett Park1 acres
Lebanon Street Park1 acres
City Open Space1 acres
Maple Terrace Open Space1 acres
Bowden Park1 acres
DirectionsGooch Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
784 conserved acres
26% of Melrose’s land. Who manages Melrose’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city51 ac
State parks3 ac
Other state land3 ac
Not recorded722 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 330 acState Park · 188 acLocal Park · 135 acLocal Historic or Cultural Area · 48 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 48 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 59 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Hood Memorial Park and Golf Course Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 247 | Open |
| Middlesex Fells Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 190 | Open |
| Pine Banks Park Local Park | Not recorded | 91 | Open |
| Wyoming Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 48 | Open |
| Bellevue Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 48 | Restricted |
| Swain and Towners Pond Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 30 | Open |
| Sewall Woods Park Local Park | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
| Knox Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Athletic Field - Morelli Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
| Spot Pond Brook State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 7 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
51 places to go in Melrose
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Melrose
Lebanon St. PlaygroundIn Lebanon Street Park
DirectionsLincoln School Playground
DirectionsTot Park
DirectionsPlus 21 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Melrose
Melrose Dog ParkIn Ell Pond Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Melrose
Cascade FallsIn Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsScenic views in Melrose
Ocean ViewIn Pine Banks Park
DirectionsPlus 11 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Melrose
Mount Hood259 ft elevation · In Mount Hood Recreation Area & Golf Course
DirectionsBlack Rock246 ft elevation · In Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsHigh Rock240 ft elevation · In West Hill Terrace
DirectionsPine Banks203 ft elevation · In Pine Banks Park
DirectionsMelrose Rock194 ft elevation · In Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsPine Hill190 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Melrose
6 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
16 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.1 miUnpaved · 8.6 mi
Rock Circuit Trail1.3 mi
Cray Trail0.6 mi
East Path0.4 mi
Rock Circuit Connector0.4 mi
Fells Path0.4 mi
Black Rock Path0.2 mi
Taylor Trail0.2 mi
Cross Fells Trail0.2 mi
Bumpy Rock Trail0.2 mi
Cascade Trail0.2 mi
6 more trails
Wyoming Path
0.2 miBurgess Trail
0.1 miKnox Memorial Trail
0.1 miPine Grove Path
0.1 miRoy Trail
0.1 miLookout Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
17Baseball
16Tennis
10Basketball
6Soccer
1Skate park
1Multi-sport
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Beebe EstateBuilding · listed 1981
About itMelrose Town Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1982
About itLarrabee's Brick BlockBuilding · listed 1984
About itMelrose Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1988
About itPhineas Upham HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itTrinity Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1995
About itLynn Fells Parkway, Metropolitan Park System of Greater BostonDistrict · listed 2003
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Melrose: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 39 | 46 | 57 | 67 | 76 | 82 | 81 | 73 | 62 | 51 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Melrose →
Next door
Melrose and its neighbors
Melrose has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Melrose
Where can I hike in Melrose?
The longest trail networks: Middlesex Fells Reservation, 7.1 miles; Mount Hood Recreation Area & Golf Course, 2.9 miles; Pine Banks Park, 1.7 miles; Towners Pond Conservation Area, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Melrose is conserved land?
26% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Melrose’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Middlesex Fells Reservation (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Melrose?
6.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.1 of painted or protected lanes and 4.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Melrose?
25,450 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Melrose or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 723 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Melrose have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #76 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Melrose neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →